Samsung Creates Phone With Curved Display

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Samsung Creates Phone With Curved Display

Posted by Soulskill on Wednesday October 9, 2013 @07:54AM from the now-there's-a-right-way-and-a-wrong-way-to-pocket-your-phone dept.

iONiUM writes "Samsung today unveiled the Galaxy Round phone with a curved 5.7" display. It comes with a hefty $1,000 USD price tag. This is a follow-up to the 55" curved TVs it began selling in June, and is most likely an intermediate form in the development of fold-able phones. Considering the recent LG announcement of mass OLED flexible screen production, it seems we are getting close to flexible phones. One question I wonder: will Apple follow suit? So far there has been no indication they are even attempting flexible/bendable screens."

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Why? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-09 07:56 · Score: 5, Insightful

What possible reason is there for this?
1. Re:Why? by h4rr4r · 2013-10-09 07:58 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Easier to hold.
  You have surely noticed your hand is not totally flat.
2. Re:Why? by queazocotal · 2013-10-09 08:01 · Score: 5, Interesting
  
  For a 55" screen - the reason is clear - if you're sitting fairly close to it - the edges are noticably further away from you.
  For a 5.5" screen - the most obvious reason would be to protect the screen.
  If, instead of a flat phone, you have one with a light curve on it - it will somewhat protect the screen from scratches due to laying it down wrong.
  I could also see that certain ways of holding it it would make long swipes easier.
  (With the thumb only)
3. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-09 08:02 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Also easier to put in your pocket, a normal 5.7 inch screen would jut out more, whereas this would follow the curve of your leg.
4. Re:Why? by jmrives · 2013-10-09 08:02 · Score: 1
  
  Yes, it will be easier to hold but will be more awkward when placed on a flat surface screen-side up.
5. Re:Why? by phantomfive · 2013-10-09 08:03 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  It's not very often anyone has said, "wow, this phone is so hard to hold."
  
  --
  "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
6. Re:Why? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2013-10-09 08:03 · Score: 1
  
  Neither is your leg, typically.
  
  I have to imagine that any significant curve on a screen that small would end up looking sort of weird, though.
  
  At somewhere in the 24-30 inch range (for monitors, larger for TVs that you are expected to sit further away from) I can see curvature as being a good thing, so that all parts of the screen are roughly equidistant from your face, rather than the edges requiring refocusing as you move your eyes around; but that won't be at play on a phone. If they keep it subtle you'll probably adjust pretty quickly, though.
7. Re:Why? by bill_mcgonigle · 2013-10-09 08:05 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Easier to hold.
  And carry. Heck, even a whiskey flask is curved.
  You have surely noticed your hand is not totally flat.
  Nor any other parts of your body. Except, of course, my washboard abs. hahaha - yeah.
  
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  OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
8. Re: Why? by foobar+bazbot · 2013-10-09 08:06 · Score: 2
  
  It's a solution to the classic problem of how to fit a phone in the pocket of jeans, which are tightly conformed to one's curved thigh. Now it's not as good a solution as ditching the tight jeans, but it is a solution.
9. Re:Why? by maharvey · 2013-10-09 08:12 · Score: 1
  
  if they are "washboard" they are not flat.
10. Re:Why? by SJHillman · 2013-10-09 08:14 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Most people use the phone in their hand more than place on a flat surface. I don't think they're marketing this as a suitable-for-every-single-goddamn-person phone so much as a suitable-for-people-that-this-would-work-for phone.
11. Re:Why? by SJHillman · 2013-10-09 08:15 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Mostly just iPhone users. But of course, that's because they've been holding it wrong.
12. Re:Why? by queazocotal · 2013-10-09 08:15 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  It curves around your moobs.
13. Re: Why? by maharvey · 2013-10-09 08:15 · Score: 1
  
  I need a concave phone then, like a section of a sphere, since my jeans are tightly conformed to my ass-cheeks.
14. Re:Why? by jmrives · 2013-10-09 08:16 · Score: 1
  
  I wonder. The human chest is not flat. In fact, I think flat phones look a bit out of place in a shirt pocket.
15. Re:Why? by sckienle · 2013-10-09 08:19 · Score: 1
  
  That argument makes sense for the back, not so much for the front/display.
  
  --
  I don't see things in black and white; I see the gray. Heck, I actually see in color, which makes things more difficult
16. Re:Why? by mythosaz · 2013-10-09 08:19 · Score: 1
  
  the edges are noticably further away from you
  Conceptually?
17. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-09 08:19 · Score: 1
  
  He means washboard in the sense that they are always covered up by dirty clothes.
18. Re: Why? by ageoffri · 2013-10-09 08:23 · Score: 1
  
  If a woman's got the body to pull off tight jeans, then by god there is no reason to ditch tight jeans.
  
  --
  -- Slashdot, making the Left look conservative since 1997.
19. Re:Why? by jmrives · 2013-10-09 08:23 · Score: 1
  
  I agree with you. There is no one mobile form factor that is suitable for all. For instance, this mobile is probably not suitable for me because I do use my device while sitting on a flat surface (table, bar, etc...) quite often.
20. Re:Why? by Charliemopps · 2013-10-09 08:28 · Score: 1
  
  No glare on a curved screen maybe?
21. Re:Why? by calzones · 2013-10-09 08:30 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  And how does TFA make the leap from curved glass (which is nothing new and quite run of the mill in so many other daily applications) to zomg, Samsung is going to have a foldable phone in 18 months? Wtf?
  Article smells a bit of sockpuppeted/astroturfed vaporware with the aim of getting people to forego competing purchases they're contemplating in the near term.
  
  --
  Asking people to think is like asking them to buy you a new car
22. Re:Why? by lgw · 2013-10-09 08:32 · Score: 1
  
  At somewhere in the 24-30 inch range (for monitors, larger for TVs that you are expected to sit further away from) I can see curvature as being a good thing, so that all parts of the screen are roughly equidistant from your face, rather than the edges requiring refocusing as you move your eyes around.
  Samsung also makes a curved 55" OLED TV, I think. It's a bit silly - not everyone sits at the same distance, so the curve is arbitrary. I think these things are curved for the same reason: as a social signal that you own a new, high-end product.
  
  --
  Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
23. Re:Why? by devman · 2013-10-09 08:34 · Score: 1
  
  Flip-phone comeback? I loved flip-phones.
24. Re:Why? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2013-10-09 08:35 · Score: 1
  
  Quite possibly. 55 inches, especially if ostensibly shared, seems too large to benefit significantly. I'd put the sweet spot at around 30"... small enough that they sell ones you are supposed to sit close to, large enough that the corners are really significantly further from your eyes than the center.
25. Re:Why? by dbraden · 2013-10-09 08:35 · Score: 1, Interesting
  
  Objectively.
26. Re:Why? by Russ1642 · 2013-10-09 08:37 · Score: 1
  
  Most phones these days have a glass screen. You essentially need sand to scratch it. Maybe pushing against car keys can leave a mark. I've got a galaxy III and I haven't used a screen protector or case. I keep it in my pocket and the screen doesn't have a mark on it besides fingerprints.
27. Re:Why? by RicktheBrick · 2013-10-09 08:42 · Score: 1, Interesting
  
  CRT televisions used to be curved than the big advancement was flat screens. Flat screens were easier to see in bright sunlight with less glare. I would think the same reasoning would apply to phones.
28. Re:Why? by sootman · 2013-10-09 08:42 · Score: 2
  
  > For a 55" screen - the reason is clear - if you're sitting fairly close
  > to it - the edges are noticably further away from you.
  Yeah, but we're used to seeing flat rectangles from far away. Does it EVER bother you that the edges of the screen appear to be a slightly different height than the height at the center? I'm sitting 20" away from my 30" screen at work and I don't even notice it. Does it ever bother you when you're at your friend's house, watching their TV from a non-ideal seat, and the whole thing is slightly trapazoid-ish? Your brain takes care of it for you. It knows it should be a rectangle so you perceive it as a rectangle.
  If you're sitting so close that the edge distance matters, then the screen would take up too many degrees of your field of view and you wouldn't be able to focus on the whole thing at once anyway, so what's the point? Oh yeah, and no matter where you sit, you'll see curvature in the image. So, this would actually be worse under most circumstances.
  As far as I can tell, it's a problem in search of a solution. (Or, something that just looks neat.) Some old theaters had curved movie screens, but that was so it could be evenly lit by a projector, which does not apply here.
  
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29. Re:Why? by yankeessuck · 2013-10-09 08:51 · Score: 1
  
  Wouldn't that be an argument for a curved back instead of a curved display?
30. Re:Why? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2013-10-09 08:52 · Score: 1
  
  What possible reason is there for this?
  It's going to come handy when you're stranded with a tropical island without matches.
  
  --
  Ezekiel 23:20
31. Re: Why? by Delusion_ · 2013-10-09 09:07 · Score: 1
  
  It's amusing that you think the tight jeans and raw denim fad that goes with it are exclusive to women. Also, what troglodyte carries a phone in their ass pocket?
32. Re:Why? by sl4shd0rk · 2013-10-09 09:09 · Score: 1
  
  What possible reason is there for this?
  
  The curvature helps with glare as well. Slightly tipping the device can eliminate glare from (for instance) overhead lighting while still maintaining a reasonably straight-on viewing angle.
  
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33. Re:Why? by mythosaz · 2013-10-09 09:12 · Score: 1
  
  You're not likely to scratch them with keys in the way your angry ex-girlfriend would key your car. ...it's more the rubbing together of things in pockets that contain small amounts of sand and dirt and dust - small abrasives, more than big sharp things.
34. Re:Why? by FatdogHaiku · 2013-10-09 09:23 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  It curves around your moobs.
  Once they are big enough you can just tuck the phone under one of them... those that consider themselves more fashion conscious may want to get a spacer for the other moob so there is no "out of balance" or "left turn signal" look. Also note that using a vibrate setting while doing this may cause inappropriate giggling...
  
  --
  You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
35. Re:Why? by MobyDisk · 2013-10-09 09:26 · Score: 1
  
  As far as I can tell, it's a problem in search of a solution
  You meant a solution in search of a problem.
36. Re:Why? by NatasRevol · 2013-10-09 09:30 · Score: 1
  
  Also, probably shatter a LOT more.
  
  --
  There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
37. Re:Why? by JeffAtl · 2013-10-09 09:42 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  The CRTs were convex, the samsung phones are concave.
38. Re:Why? by icebike · 2013-10-09 09:48 · Score: 1
  
  For instance, this mobile is probably not suitable for me because I do use my device while sitting on a flat surface (table, bar, etc...) quite often.
  Because we all know curved objects can't possibly sit on a flat surface?
  Basically I think its a pointless change, for change sake, And I've never had a problem holding a flat phone in my hand.
  
  --
  Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
39. Re: Why? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-09 09:48 · Score: 1
  
  Well the moderation would suggest it's funny but the fact that it annoyed you is also a win.
40. Re: Why? by icebike · 2013-10-09 09:50 · Score: 1
  
  Those aren't mutually exclusive categories.
  
  --
  Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
41. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-09 10:07 · Score: 1
  
  I have absolutely no idea about the optics involved, nor do I have any idea or experience as to the glare-properties that this curved screen will possess, but I will point out that non-flat CRTs are convex, whereas this phone has a screen that is concave.
  If glare is a factor of screen curvature, and convex is greater than 1, flat is 1, and concave is less than 1 then this is good news for glare!
  But optics is never nice like that, and it could be that flat is always better than any curve. Or it might not!
42. Re:Why? by icebike · 2013-10-09 11:10 · Score: 1
  
  It doesn't have keys. Its a touch screen.
  They actually use that to their advantage. See the Video on this page..
  While tapping on the screen you don't need to push hard enough to rock the phone.
  
  --
  Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
43. Re:Why? by the+eric+conspiracy · 2013-10-09 11:13 · Score: 1
  
  OLED TVs are concave too.
  Not sure I like it.
44. Re:Why? by umafuckit · 2013-10-09 11:32 · Score: 1
  
  For a 55" screen - the reason is clear - if you're sitting fairly close to it - the edges are noticably further away from you.
  It'll happen with any size screen. In fact, it's happening right now on my 13" laptop screen from which I am about a foot away. I'll get over, though.
  The curved screen stuff is a PR gimmick--that's why they're pricing the gear so high--they're not expecting most people to buy it. They're expecting people to talk about it. Looks like it's succeeding.
  
  --
  soylentnews.org
45. Re:Why? by umafuckit · 2013-10-09 11:32 · Score: 1
  
  Geometrically.
  
  --
  soylentnews.org
46. Re: Why? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-09 11:34 · Score: 1
  
  Because a marketer bet another marketer that they can make a curved phone without reason and the Samsung fans will not only go wild but also come up with goofy justifications for it.
  Apparently he won the bet.
47. Re:Why? by Kielistic · 2013-10-09 11:43 · Score: 1
  
  In their defense a screen is more than just a piece of glass. My phone has had curved glass for quite a few years already but a flat screen.
  I never thought curving a screen to be that difficult though. I always understood they were quite flimsy and held in place to protect from damage. That we've always held them flat and not curved had less to do with one being difficult and more to do with "why the hell would I want a curved display?"
48. Re:Why? by swb · 2013-10-09 11:50 · Score: 1
  
  A flask for carrying liquor is curved because it is known as a "hip flask" designed to be carried in a back pocket or along the hip where the body has a natural curve so as to allow it to be carried with more comfort and discretion than might be achieved with a purely rectilinear container.
49. Re:Why? by rea1l1 · 2013-10-09 11:51 · Score: 1
  
  Then you havent met someone who has tried to use the Galaxy Note with one hand.
50. Re:Why? by PapayaSF · 2013-10-09 11:59 · Score: 1
  
  What possible reason is there for this?
  Samsung's consumer electronics strategy seems to be: "Let's try every damn thing we can think of, and see what sells!"
  
  --
  Q: What does the "B." in Benoit B. Mandelbrot stand for? A: Benoit B. Mandelbrot
51. Re:Why? by ArbitraryName · 2013-10-09 12:18 · Score: 1
  
  I don't know, why would you? Most people, when confronted with such an unsolvable conundrum would think for a half second and then use another pocket.
52. Re:Why? by techprophet · 2013-10-09 12:27 · Score: 1
  
  Astrologically.
  
  What, what were we talking about?
53. Re:Why? by smash · 2013-10-09 12:54 · Score: 1
  
  Samsung are spending money on curved displays and have no idea about product design or where it might be appropriate, so they stuck it to a phone.
  
  --
  I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
54. Re:Why? by smash · 2013-10-09 12:57 · Score: 1
  
  Because they have no clue on product design and do no research into what actually work or to discover a use case. But hey this is slashdot, those things aren't actually relevant. The only ideas worth anything are algorithms and technology for technology's sake.
  
  --
  I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
55. Re:Why? by p3ngwin · 2013-10-09 13:22 · Score: 1
  
  since when is "easier to hold" prioritized over "easier to view" ?
56. Re:Why? by wooferhound · 2013-10-09 14:04 · Score: 1
  
  It curves around your moobs.
  Once they are big enough you can just tuck the phone under one of them...
  Won't putting it under your boob prevent the signal from getting through?
  
  --
  We are Dead Stars looking back Up at the Sky
57. Re:Why? by slick7 · 2013-10-09 14:20 · Score: 1
  
  Virtually.
  
  --
  The mind conceives, the body achieves, the spirit manifests.
58. Re:Why? by c · 2013-10-09 14:28 · Score: 1
  
  What possible reason is there for this?
  I get this feeling that Samsung's using this sort of thing as a way to drum up business for their display components side. Rather than just banging out a reference device and showing it to device makers (and competitors), they're going the extra few steps to crank out a finished device and put it on the market.
  
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59. Re:Why? by FatdogHaiku · 2013-10-09 14:37 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  It curves around your moobs.
  Once they are big enough you can just tuck the phone under one of them...
  Won't putting it under your boob prevent the signal from getting through?
  Fat does not interfere with cellular frequencies... if it did there would be zero cell reception in places like board rooms, banks, and most importantly... Congress...
  
  --
  You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
60. Re:Why? by wvmarle · 2013-10-09 15:58 · Score: 1
  
  I for one would have to use it to really know whether it's good or not.
  Maybe easier to use when holding it in your hand, it will be harder to use when you put it on a table. Hard to say which one is the more important. The design of the rear can of course easily prevent tumbling.
  Also I wonder how your eyes deal with looking at a curved screen, and wether they do anything about distortion due to pixels appearing to be narrower towards the edges where it curves up (is this even noticable?).
61. Re:Why? by wvmarle · 2013-10-09 16:06 · Score: 1
  
  > For a 55" screen - the reason is clear - if you're sitting fairly close
  > to it - the edges are noticably further away from you.
  Yeah, but we're used to seeing flat rectangles from far away. Does it EVER bother you that the edges of the screen appear to be a slightly different height than the height at the center?
  Maybe you remember the time that CRT screens were not flat, but bulging out: this to keep the distance between the cathode ray source (at the back) the same whether the beam went to a far edge or the mid front. It was basically part of a sphere. Even when sitting rather close, you wouldn't see the image bulging towards you: your brain corrects for that just fine.
  Then the flat-square CRT appeared, and things got interesting. Those used to an old, bulging one would suddenly see a flat one as bulging in. I experienced that myself, too. The effect doesn't last long, within minutes your brain adapts, yet it happens every time again.
  Also intersting to note that as you're getting so used to correcting the image, your brain will automatically add this correction the moment you look at a TV screen - I don't mean watching them next to one another, rather you have the old one at home, then next day walk in a TV shop where they have the flat ones.
  To come back at Samsung's TV, from the images I have seen the curvature is only in the horizontal direction, not in the vertical direction. So if it were really to keep the distance to your eyes equal, the curvature should be in vertical direction too, again making it part of a sphere. This also means you should watch them sitting right in the focal point, the centre of that sphere - a very narrowly defined point, and it makes watching TV with more than one person awkward unless you like them very much.
62. Re:Why? by wvmarle · 2013-10-09 16:08 · Score: 1
  
  Afaik (part of) the display is made out of silicon, which means it can't be bent without breaking the circuit etched into it. These polymer screens are much more flexible, and folding/rolling up the screen is certainly within reach of such materials.
63. Re:Why? by sublayer · 2013-10-09 16:13 · Score: 1
  
  since when is "easier to hold" prioritized over "easier to view" ?
  Since you used it as a telephone, not a television.
64. Re:Why? by timeOday · 2013-10-09 16:23 · Score: 1
  
  What possible reason was there for making them flat instead of curved in the first place? Just limitations in manufacturing?
65. Re:Why? by Joce640k · 2013-10-09 16:41 · Score: 1
  
  Hip flasks are a lot bigger. If hip flasks were only a couple of inches wide they wouldn't need the curve.
  
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66. Re:Why? by Joce640k · 2013-10-09 16:43 · Score: 1
  
  Weirdly enough, the side of my head isn't very curved.
  Hard to see, hard to listen to. Look on the bright side though: It's banana shaped to fit nicely in my chimp-hand.
  
  --
  No sig today...
67. Re:Why? by Joce640k · 2013-10-09 16:45 · Score: 1
  
  Maybe easier to use when holding it in your hand, it will be harder to use when you put it on a table.
  You're having trouble using a flat phone in your hand?
  I'd like to be able to tap the screen when it's on a table without it rocking.
  
  --
  No sig today...
68. Re:Why? by Joce640k · 2013-10-09 16:46 · Score: 1
  
  this would follow the curve of your leg.
  Whose leg?
  Won't it rock if you try to use it on a table?
  
  --
  No sig today...
69. Re:Why? by p3ngwin · 2013-10-09 20:07 · Score: 1
  
  right, because people use their phones for PHONEcalls...owait, no they don't generally. . Data overtakes voice use: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/technology/personaltech/14talk.html .. Smart-phones outnumber feature phones in US: http://techland.time.com/2012/03/01/smartphones-outnumber-feature-phones-in-u-s-for-first-time/ .. Smartphones Finally Overtook Dumbphone Sales Globally: http://techcrunch.com/2013/08/14/gartner-q2-smartphone/ .. Smartphones to outnumber feature phones in Kenya by end of 2013: http://www.humanipo.com/news/32204/smartphones-to-outnumber-feature-phones-in-kenya-by-end-of-2013/ .. So basically, the planet is evolving towards using smartphones more than featurephones, and Voice is being overtaken by data on these devices, even in 3rd-Word countries. .. So why do we need to prioritize a curved phone for phone-calls again ?
70. Re:Why? by p3ngwin · 2013-10-09 20:12 · Score: 1
  
  "It's banana shaped to fit nicely in my chimp-hand." well if this doesn't prove God exists i don't know what does :)
71. Re:Why? by AmiMoJo · 2013-10-09 20:29 · Score: 1
  
  Actually my number one complaint about Samsung phones is the slippery back that makes them hard to grip. HTC have some kind of rubber-like plastic that gives up plenty of grip. I always fit a minimal "shell" case for this reason.
  
  --
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72. Re:Why? by LongearedBat · 2013-10-09 21:24 · Score: 1
  
  People seldom complain that something isn't good enough, if it's the best they've experienced so far.
  But, once they've tried something better, they'll seldom want to go back. (That what makes it a game changer.)
  (Curious to see if this will be the game changer they're expecting it to be.)
73. Re:Why? by wvmarle · 2013-10-09 22:04 · Score: 1
  
  I have no problem holding a flat phone, but that doesn't mean it may not be easier if it's curved. And indeed the phone-on-the-table scenario may be a serious issue.
74. Re:Why? by RivenAleem · 2013-10-09 23:41 · Score: 1
  
  Because my eyes are round?
75. Re:Why? by AmiMoJo · 2013-10-10 00:06 · Score: 1
  
  Samsung demonstrated flexible OLED displays a couple of years ago. You are correct though, this is rather different.
  
  --
  const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
  SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
76. Re:Why? by phantomfive · 2013-10-10 05:11 · Score: 1
  
  If that bothers you, stay away from the iphone 5c then lol
  
  --
  "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
77. Re:Why? by rpstrong · 2013-10-10 05:22 · Score: 1
  
  Yes, it rocks - in fact, the rocking is used as an input device.
78. Re:Why? by rpstrong · 2013-10-10 05:36 · Score: 1
  
  And my Nexus S before that. But those phones have a flat display behind a molded glass cover (iFixit shows the parts). This phone curves the actual display, not just the glass.
79. Re:Why? by c++0xFF · 2013-10-10 09:35 · Score: 2
  
  I think we've all arrived at a very special place. Spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically.
  -- Jack Sparrow
80. Re:Why? by mcgrew · 2013-10-10 09:44 · Score: 1
  
  I don't want one. I remember when I was a kid and cinerama was new; the theaters had curved screens. I hated those theaters, and it would be worse on a phone.
  New isn't necessarily better.
  
  --
  Free Martian Whores!
81. Re: Why? by shikaisi · 2013-10-10 18:42 · Score: 1
  
  If a woman's got the body to pull off tight jeans, then by god there is no reason to ditch tight jeans.
  On the contrary, I think there's every reason to get rid of them right now.
  
  --
  No left turn unstoned.
Will this make my selfies look skinny? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-09 07:56 · Score: 1

Like a funhouse mirror....
To paraphrase Phil... by R3d+M3rcury · 2013-10-09 07:57 · Score: 1

Can't innovate, my ass.
Lawsuit incoming by Highland+Deck+Box · 2013-10-09 08:05 · Score: 4, Informative

Apple already patented displaying graphical representations of information on a screen embedded in a communications device.
1. Re:Lawsuit incoming by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-09 09:17 · Score: 1
  
  More like:
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The mods' sarcasm
  Your head
You Have It Backwards by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-09 08:06 · Score: 5, Funny

One question I wonder: will Apple follow suit?
Sorry, but you have that process backwards...
1. Re:You Have It Backwards by mdielmann · 2013-10-09 13:08 · Score: 1
  
  Will Apple suit follow?
  
  --
  Sure I'm paranoid, but am I paranoid enough?
Re:"Apple, Apple, Apple"! by Overzeetop · 2013-10-09 08:08 · Score: 1

Yeah, but the iPhone 3Gs had a curved back. Certainly this curved phone violates some Apple design IP. *rolls eyes*
My question is: If Apple can get a design patent on rounded corners, can Samsung get one on curved faces?

--
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
Erm.... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-09 08:08 · Score: 1

... pulls out Nexus S from 2010 ...
Curved display, you say?
Wow.
1. Re:Erm.... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-09 08:32 · Score: 1
  
  was it done "using advanced display technology called organic light-emitting diode"?
  Yes. AMOLED, actually.
  You know, the Nexus S has one feature that is sorely missing in higher end phones; it isn't freaking huge. It's fairly compact, and very rounded. Round in all dimensions; corners, edges, back cover. Everything.
  That makes it very, very easy to live with. Put it in your pocket and it isn't noticed because it doesn't try to poke out through fabric.
  Dear Google,
  I'm going to skip on the Nexus 4 successor, because like the Nexus 4 and Galaxy Nexus, your new phones are too damn big. These things are almost half a foot long. If I wanted something that big I'd get a tablet. Please stop making monster phones. I'm not interesting in watching HD movies on my phone; I have real displays for that. Small, easy to carry and stow phones, please.
  Thank you.
2. Re:Erm.... by RavenLrD20k · 2013-10-09 08:33 · Score: 1
  
  The Nexus S had a curved super AMOLED screen, though by comparison the curve was more along the Y axis as this appears to be more along the X. Guess what AMOLED is an acronym for?
  Or was your post supposed to be sarcasm?
3. Re:Erm.... by CurryCamel · 2013-10-09 08:57 · Score: 1
  
  It was intended as sarcasm, yes. That should have been clear if you had read TFA's first sentence in its entirety.
  (The first sentence spells out the OLED acronym. And AFAIK, the 'A' in AMOLED does not stand for 'advanced' ;) )
A more interesting demo shown... by cliffjumper222 · 2013-10-09 08:09 · Score: 1

...had the display flowing over the edge of the phone's sides so you could place a phone on a table and have only the edge display info.
Bucket list by Fuzzums · 2013-10-09 08:13 · Score: 2

[x] play games on phone
[x] use internet on phone
[x] take pictures with phone
[x] ...
[ ] bend phone
[ ] break phone
[ ] use phone to actually call people

--
Privacy is terrorism.
lulsy by girlintraining · 2013-10-09 08:13 · Score: 1

One question I wonder: will Apple follow suit? So far there has been no indication they are even attempting flexible/bendable screens."
Your google-fu is weak, submitter. Apple is indeed looking at this technology and have filed several patents. Samsung though beat them to market; but it's a pyrric victory at a $1000 price tag.

--
#fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
1. Re:lulsy by Krojack · 2013-10-09 08:34 · Score: 1
  
  More like Apple will file a patent suit and claim Samsung stole it from them thus getting an import ban. We all know how those always work out in Apple's favor.
2. Re:lulsy by Dixie_Flatline · 2013-10-09 08:46 · Score: 1
  
  A flexible or bendable screen is different from a screen that comes pre-curved and doesn't flex at all, I reckon.
  I fail to see the point of this curved screen, honestly. Maybe it's better if you carry a large phone in your pocket?
  Sometimes it's not worth being first. They may as well have come to market with a phone that's covered in mushrooms, or one that drips motor oil. This is pretty random stuff, here.
  But maybe they'll prove me wrong once they actually reveal how it works.
3. Re:lulsy by smash · 2013-10-09 13:00 · Score: 1
  
  Looking at this technology and figuring out an actual use case, and dumping gimmicky garbage on the market simply to be "First!" are two entirely different things.
  
  --
  I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
4. Re:lulsy by wvmarle · 2013-10-09 16:21 · Score: 1
  
  Why Google it when you can Slashdot it?
  Have other people do the work for you, and get lots of comments on it that are even worse thought out than your original query sorry submission.
5. Re:lulsy by Neil+Boekend · 2013-10-09 20:41 · Score: 1
  
  Or Samsung does that to Apple. Don't think Samsung is nicer just because they use a better OS.
  
  --
  Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
6. Re:lulsy by Neil+Boekend · 2013-10-09 20:56 · Score: 1
  
  My S4 Active would be cumbersome if I wore tight pants. I don't so it doesn't bother me. The S4 Active has a 5" screen. The Round would, seemingly, have a 5.7" screen. If it were flat and someone who wears tight pants would have it in a pant pocket then that someone would probably have to be overweight because that makes for a larger curvature. Not what I like to see in tight pants.
  
  --
  Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
So... by Shirogitsune · 2013-10-09 08:16 · Score: 2

Those warriors from Samsung have curved screens. Curved. Screens
1. Re:So... by oodaloop · 2013-10-09 08:44 · Score: 1
  
  And this isn't the first one. I have a Samsung Galaxy Nexus with a curved screen, although it is curved from top to bottom, vice left to right.
  
  --
  Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
Gimmick by Princeofcups · 2013-10-09 08:17 · Score: 2, Interesting

What is this besides a gimmick? How does a curved screen make anything better? Is there anyone out there who ever said, "this would be much better if only the screen were curved?" Answers are "nothing," "it doesn't," and "no."

--
The only thing worse than a Democrat is a Republican.
1. Re:Gimmick by mythosaz · 2013-10-09 08:22 · Score: 1
  
  A dozen posters above you have already mentioned that our hands and pockets are curved.
  That makes your answers, "A design improvement," "It's more ergonomic," and "scores of people who were involved in the testing of this phone."
  Also, please don't order one. More for the people who do.
2. Re:Gimmick by Anubis+IV · 2013-10-09 08:38 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I don't know about you, but my thumb is a fixed length, and it pivots at a joint. As such, if I have my hand at a fixed location on a flat surface, my thumb can only touch about a thumb's length of that surface. If the surface were curved, however, my thumb could touch much more of the surface area, since more of it would be within reach of my thumb. That would also allow the screen to be larger (and thus have more content) without sacrificing the convenience of being usable with one hand.
  But that's just me. Maybe you're just a regular Inspector Gadget with telescoping thumbs and whatnot.
3. Re:Gimmick by gutnor · 2013-10-09 08:57 · Score: 2
  
  Well it seems that Samsung finally managed to copy Apple Reality Distortion field.
  A screen, curved like my hands, I need one now.
4. Re:Gimmick by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-09 09:41 · Score: 1
  
  Ergonomics, you prick. Until recently, we haven't been able to fabricated strong curved screens that take abuse. The formfactor will be great for those of us that pocket phones too.
5. Re:Gimmick by LordLucless · 2013-10-09 10:59 · Score: 2
  
  My answers are "durability", "see below", and "yes". Unlike you, I also have reasons.
  Google's Nexus S had a curved screen ages ago. I had one, and it was great - it meant if my phone was placed face down, the screen never made contact with the surface, so there was less chance of scratching. It meant that if it was dropped, there was little chance the screen would be subject to direct impact, meaning less chance of cracking - my phone hit our tiled floors a couple of times, with no harm done.
  
  --
  Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face
6. Re:Gimmick by smash · 2013-10-09 13:01 · Score: 1
  
  So you're saying that the curve is meant to match the highly variable and easily modified "curve" of an arbitrary user's hand? I.e., it is sub-optimal for the curve of 99.999999999% of hands out there?
  
  --
  I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
7. Re:Gimmick by Threni · 2013-10-10 00:46 · Score: 1
  
  Yes - only those people whose hands are can move and form different angled curves will find this useful. If you're made entirely of lego, like 99.9999999% of people, you're going to find this pointless.
Apple? by kipsate · 2013-10-09 08:22 · Score: 2, Interesting

Former Apple fanboy here.

Off-topic rant first: It seems that user experience is no longer top priority at Apple. Why on earth did they screw the user experience for iPhone 4 and older models? The redesign of iOS 7, what a mess. It is inconsistent, mostly pointless, buggy, but worst of all it slows my phone down so much that scrolling has become jerky in any app. I remember playing with an Android Samsung phone a couple of years ago, and dismissed it mainly because of the sluggish user interface. Now my iPhone is like that. Good heavens.

On-topic: Apple is no longer trend-setting but trend-following. Will they also come with bigger screens? Bigger displays? Better cameras? Sensors that actually work for gaming? You know, the stuff that other phones already have? Who knows, follow the trend, Apple...

But personally I think a curved phone is a bit of a gimmick and Apple will not follow it.

I really hope they get their shit together and start making inspiring phones that have the best software, hardware, design and most importantly the best user-experience of any other phone. You know, like in the old days. But I'm not holding my breath. Sigh.

--
My karma ran over your dogma
1. Re:Apple? by i+ate+my+neighbour · 2013-10-09 08:54 · Score: 1
  
  Apple also used to be trend setting in personal computers in the late 20th century.
2. Re:Apple? by kylemonger · 2013-10-09 09:20 · Score: 1
  
  Apple does this with all their old hardware. They either declare your hardware obsolete or make the OS perform so badly on it that you declare it obsolete on your own. Either way, it's time for a new phone/tablet/computer. Allowing you to get the most out of your old hardware is in direct opposition to the goal of getting you to buy new hardware. With phones they time the suckage cycle so that it roughly corresponds with the cellphone contract expiration cycle.
3. Re:Apple? by Rude+Turnip · 2013-10-09 09:40 · Score: 1
  
  Yes, except my next phone and tablet will be Android-based precisely because Apple fucked me over and ruined my iPhone 4s with iOS 7. On Mac computers, every new OS X upgrade makes older computers run better. It's exactly the opposite with iOS and iPhones.
  
  --
  Bill Clinton: Pimp we can believe in. - The Shirt!!!
4. Re:Apple? by roc97007 · 2013-10-09 12:26 · Score: 2
  
  So downgrade to iOS 6 and quit whining. Nobody forced you to upgrade to iOS 7 in the first place.
  Apparently, you can't.
  
  --
  Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
5. Re:Apple? by roc97007 · 2013-10-09 12:27 · Score: 1
  
  iPhone 4 user who likes iOS 7 here...
  ...which may only go to prove, for any version of any OS, there's always someone, somewhere, who liked it.
  
  --
  Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
6. Re:Apple? by smash · 2013-10-09 13:05 · Score: 1
  
  Because after 2 years your phone is off-contract, the technology is ancient, the battery is likely on it's last legs and apple are a company who wants to sell new products?
  
  --
  I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
7. Re:Apple? by windwalkr · 2013-10-09 13:29 · Score: 1
  
  Apple does this with all their old hardware. They either declare your hardware obsolete
  I'm fine with this. Hardware keeps improving. Software changes to take advantage of this. Sooner or later, I'll want to upgrade.
  
  or make the OS perform so badly on it that you declare it obsolete on your own.
  There really needs to be consumer protection against this kind of thing. Apple has made a habit of pushing upgrades to devices that really can't handle it. Explaining to people why they shouldn't tap "Yes" when the phone repeatedly wants to upgrade, because it will permanently break their device, is not a battle that you can win. Not until it's too late, anyway.
  From what I've heard (and it seems to match my experience, though it's difficult to be sure with a hidden filesystem) the latest update will even background-download itself onto your device without asking, using your bandwidth and device storage- which you can't get back, even if you don't wish to upgrade.
8. Re:Apple? by mjwx · 2013-10-09 14:17 · Score: 1
  
  But personally I think a curved phone is a bit of a gimmick and Apple will not follow it.
  
  If this is a gimmick, then Apple is likely to follow it (then claim they came up with the idea) because gimmicks is all Apple does.
  
  --
  Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
9. Re:Apple? by Threni · 2013-10-10 02:42 · Score: 1
  
  Nice try, but you're not an Apple fanboy. Apple fanboy's *never* criticize anything Apple does. Ever. Small screens, slower phones after upgrades, tacky icons, high prices etc - it's all for a reason, and if you don't agree with it, you're wrong.
  Why, you've probably typed that message on an Android phone - perhaps even one which is rectangular in shape. Good for you!
Re:"Apple, Apple, Apple"! by samkass · 2013-10-09 08:29 · Score: 2, Informative

My answer is: Apple doesn't have a design patent on rounded corners and never claimed to have one. (And Gore never claimed he was the inventor of the Internet, either.)

--
E pluribus unum
Niche Market Takeover by sqorbit · 2013-10-09 08:32 · Score: 1

Samsung might be smart doing things like this. Rather than try to take over the masses to gain market share, take over all the niche markets. Apple makes one phone for all. Samsung makes a bunch of phones for individuals. Not sure if it's a good business model, but marketing wise it should work.

--
Sent from my TARDIS
1. Re:Niche Market Takeover by tlhIngan · 2013-10-09 09:54 · Score: 2
  
  Samsung might be smart doing things like this. Rather than try to take over the masses to gain market share, take over all the niche markets. Apple makes one phone for all. Samsung makes a bunch of phones for individuals. Not sure if it's a good business model, but marketing wise it should work.
  Actually, Samsung needs to do this because they already have marketshare. They have something like 90% marketshare of Android phones. Android itself outsells iOS by at least 3:1 so Samsung moves at least three times as many phones as Apple.
  Samsung also just beat Apple in the profits game (which was inevitable - Samsung moves just that many more phones).
  The only thing left is to go after the other 10% or the featurephone market.
2. Re:Niche Market Takeover by ArbitraryName · 2013-10-09 12:37 · Score: 1
  
  Not quite. Android has 52% of the smartphone market and Apple has 40%. Hardly 3:1. Samsung has 25% of the smartphone market, so about half of the Android marketshare. http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-android-market-share-2013-2
Re:"Apple, Apple, Apple"! by the_B0fh · 2013-10-09 08:34 · Score: 1

Sure. Why not
And Apple already has curved glass patents.
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2013/08/apple-granted-37-patents-today-covering-a-projection-system-curved-glass-macbooks-with-cellular-antennas-much-more.html
http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/25/apple-patents-a-method-to-refine-curved-glass/
http://mashable.com/2013/10/02/apple-patent-glass-cylinder/
Gimmick now, more later I hope by Yogs · 2013-10-09 08:34 · Score: 1

From TFA:

“This phone signifies something that is much more important,” said Warren Lau, an analyst at Kim Eng Securities Ltd. in Hong Kong. “In the next 18 months or so, we could see Samsung launching foldable display devices. That is going to be a game changer.”
That could see a 5.5-inch smartphone unfold to an 11-inch display and be part of a brand new market, said Lau.
You could argue whether the manufacture of such a thing really helps them learn valuable lessons or helps strengthen their brand for a move into this space. And it all could easily be an empty prognostication and this gimmick my be a dead end or maybe, maybe even a foray into forearm computing.
But I really hope the prediction in the article holds about folding displays holds true. I've avoided the phablet because it's not good enough to stand in for a tablet yet. A doubling or more of screen real estate would change that in a hurry.
LG is curving their 2014 phones by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-09 08:59 · Score: 1

http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/2013/1007/LG-designs-flexible-screens-for-curved-smart-phones
anyone building curved devices by ozduo · 2013-10-09 09:04 · Score: 1

is in breach of the banana patent!

--
I got to the chocolate box before you, that's why the hard ones have teeth marks.
1. Re:anyone building curved devices by Neil+Boekend · 2013-10-09 21:09 · Score: 1
  
  Bananas bend the other way.
  
  --
  Well, I might have a way, but it only works on a semi spherical planet in a vacuum.
rather than a foldable display by Skapare · 2013-10-09 09:04 · Score: 2

Rather than a foldable display, I'd rather have a display that can simple be pulled to a larger size or pushed to a smaller size (small enough to hide). This will, of course, require some much more innovative technology. But I think we will have it by 2050.

--
now we need to go OSS in diesel cars
1. Re:rather than a foldable display by LongearedBat · 2013-10-09 21:40 · Score: 1
  
  Back in 2002 when Nokia and Ericsson were competing to make smaller phones, I told my colleagues that in the future screens could be rolled up (like a window blind). Rolled up it would be like a large pen. Rolled out it would be a touch screen (already had the concept of a smart phone), and the screen may be optionally transparent. Smaller versions could be used as ear pieces (much like Bluetooth headsets that, at the time, had not yet been invented).
  They just thought I was being silly. But with each of article of this ilk, I see us edging towards that becoming a reality.
More difficult to hold properly by BenJeremy · 2013-10-09 09:23 · Score: 1

Most people don't hold their phones properly, this won't help. The optimal for a sub-Phablet is the Index twist method, but with the curve suggested by this new design, your fingers won't be able to form properly or will cramp up, so it's back to the "standard" non-ergonomic way. Perhaps some variant of the pinky-curl/ring twist method used to properly hold a phablet could be modified, but looking at the numbers, I suspect only about 30% of most users will have hands the right size to use that hold.
Obviously,Samsung didn't do proper ergonomics studies of the design before moving forward. That's a real shame.
1. Re:More difficult to hold properly by Shompol · 2013-10-09 15:26 · Score: 1
  
  Should fit much better for jeans pocket ergonomics. I wish I had a grand to spare.
Hah, called it by decipher_saint · 2013-10-09 09:27 · Score: 1

Boosh!

--
crazy dynamite monkey
Misleading by CanadianMacFan · 2013-10-09 11:06 · Score: 1

Samsung Round? Still looks rectangular to me.
Apple by Lawrence_Bird · 2013-10-09 11:20 · Score: 1

One question I wonder: will Apple follow suit? So far there has been no indication they are even attempting flexible/bendable screens."
Samsung is already infringing. The iSteve dreamed about this once. Besides, everyone know that only Apple can innovate!
Re:"Apple, Apple, Apple"! by Kielistic · 2013-10-09 11:56 · Score: 3, Insightful

My answer is: Apple doesn't have a design patent on rounded corners and never claimed to have one
D670,286. Dotted lines are not part of the claimed patent. The only solid lines in that patent are: 1 rectangle with rounded corners. 1 rectangle inside the rounded one for the screen.
My Galaxy Nexus has a curved screen by mark_reh · 2013-10-09 12:05 · Score: 1

and it came out of Samsung about 2 years ago.
No Shit, Sherlock by iroll · 2013-10-09 12:12 · Score: 1

They made the Nexus S what, over three years ago?

--
Repetition does not transform a lie into the truth. - FDR
Re:"Apple, Apple, Apple"! by techprophet · 2013-10-09 12:30 · Score: 1

You missed this bit:

(And Gore never claimed he was the inventor of the Internet, either.)
Re:"Apple, Apple, Apple"! by pseudofrog · 2013-10-09 12:57 · Score: 1

The Gore Bill

I'm not his biggest fan, but he doesn't get the credit he deserves for his role in the creation of the Internet we all use and enjoy.
Re:"Apple, Apple, Apple"! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-10-09 13:04 · Score: 1

He didn't. He made an entirely correct statement that some of the work he did laid the groundwork for enabling the creation of what later became the Internet.
You only get a claim of "inventing the internet" if you strip a small part of his statement out of all the surrounding context.
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2010/12/al-gore-never-said-he-invented-the-internet/
A curved version of Galaxy Note 3? by Shompol · 2013-10-09 15:21 · Score: 1

It looks like it has almost identical specs with Galaxy Note 3 ($850), but $150 more expensive.
Re:"Apple, Apple, Apple"! by samkass · 2013-10-10 04:20 · Score: 1

My answer is: Apple doesn't have a design patent on rounded corners and never claimed to have one
D670,286. Dotted lines are not part of the claimed patent. The only solid lines in that patent are: 1 rectangle with rounded corners. 1 rectangle inside the rounded one for the screen.
They simply show a diagram of an iPad and claim a design patent on anything that could be confused with it. "Rounded corners" does not appear in the claim list at all. One could create a new device whose corners were a different radius and it wouldn't infringe. (Plus, this patent has never been tested in court-- the Samsung trial used much more complete patented renderings, and claimed software similarities while this is a hardware design patent.)

--
E pluribus unum
Re:"Apple, Apple, Apple"! by Kielistic · 2013-10-10 06:07 · Score: 1

"Rounded corners" does not appear in the claim list at all
Except in the diagram... Which is the patent.

One could create a new device whose corners were a different radius and it wouldn't infringe.
So this is a patent on rounded corners on a rectangle? How big of a difference in radius is needed so as not to be infringing? is half a milimetre enough?

the Samsung trial used much more complete patented renderings,
This patent wasn't actually granted until after the infamous trial. The patents used there included rounded corners and industry standard positions of things like buttons and icons. Not that any of that has anything to do with the topic at hand. You said Apple does not have a patent on rounded corners. They do; it's right there.
Hardware is how Samsung competes. by jddimarco · 2013-10-10 07:40 · Score: 1

Most of the comments about whether or not a curved glass phone is better misses the point. Samsung competes with other phone vendors through hardware differentiation, and it works. Samsung is very good at producing innovative hardware, and that's why they're the biggest darn smartphone vendor out there. Curved glass? Samsung can do it, nobody else does (yet): more hardware differentiation. Will the phone sell like hotcakes? Maybe not, but it doesn't matter: by releasing it first, Samsung has again buttressed its reputation as a hardware differentiator.
ftfu by peacefool · 2013-10-10 16:51 · Score: 1

Will Apple sue it?